Centre Issues New Security Mandates For Starlink, Jio-SES, Other Satcom Players

The telecommunications department (DoT) has issued a new set of Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) guidelines, which mandate compliance with 29 new security norms to acquire satellite communication (satcom) licences.

Under the new regime, all satcom operators will have to create provisions for blocking of websites, collection of metadata, lawful interception facilities, among others.

This will have a direct bearing on existing licence holders like Bharti Enterprises-backed Eutelsat Oneweb, Reliance-backed Jio-SES, as well as Elon Musk-owned Starlink and Amazon Kuiper, that have applied for licences.

The new rules also put the onus on satcom operators to ensure that their user terminals are verified through authentication mechanisms, adding that unregistered or foreign devices will only be allowed to use services within the country only after a registration process.

“… The service providers shall provide real time location data/tracking of user terminals (Fixed and Mobile) anywhere within Indian Territory as and when required by Designated LEAs (law enforcement agencies)/security agencies. This includes sharing of latitude-longitude details of user terminals as and when required on (a) real time basis,” read the new security norms.

Another major takeaway of the new guidelines is that the DoT has directed the satcom operators to transition to indigenous satellite navigation system NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) by 2029.

The new rules also entrust localisation mandates on existing and potential satcom licensees. By the end of five years of commercial operations, companies will have to indigenise 20% of their ground segment of the satellite network.

Under the new mandates, satcom operators will have to ensure their “land mobility terminals” report location every 2.6 km moved or after one minute duration, whichever is less.

In a circular issued yesterday, the DoT attributed the new mandates to national security interests. Here is a lowdown of what the new compliances:

• The licence holders will require security clearance for specific gateway/hub locations in India
• The satcom operators will have to comply with monitoring/ interception facilities/equipment requirements
• Monitoring and lawful interception shall be provided as per the licensing condition(s) at the gateway/point of presence (PoP)/network control and monitoring center (NCMC)
• The lawful interception system (LIS) or lawful interception monitoring (LIM) system shall be integrated with the centralised monitoring system/ integrated monitoring system
• The licensee will have to demonstrate system capabilities, with respect to security aspects,to government officials before commencing satcom operations in India
• Essential functionalities like lawful interception facility, monitoring/control facility of user terminals, user data traffic routing, control of equipment in gateway routing data traffic etc., of the NCMC will be located in India
• Satcom operators will have to implement service (likely internet) restriction or denial to any individual, group of subscribers or certain geographical areas during hostilities or after directions by relevant authorities
• Licensees will have to ensure the accuracy of geo-fencing in case of debarred areas and also reshape footprint patterns near borders areas to avoid spillovers
• Licence holders will have to provide services as per the Survey of India’s maps
• Special monitoring zones (50 kms within international border) along the territorial borders and along coastal borders covering exclusive economic zones (200nautical miles) will be demarcated for monitoring of user activities by security agencies
• The licence holders will now have to include details such as user terminal location, device ID, public and private IP addresses in their call detail records and internet protocol detail records (IPDR) details
• The licensee will ensure that websites blocked in India are also blocked through GMPCS services
• The licensee shall facilitate meta-data collection by telecom security operation centre (TSOC) under DoT
• Satcom operators will have to share information related to existing and relocated user terminals such as name, address, unique IDs with designation security at specified periodicity
• Licensees will have to ensure that no user terminal is able to access the network from outside the geo-fenced coverage area or through gateway situated outside India
• The onus will be on satcom operators to ensure UTs registered in India are not allowed to latch on to any other gateway located out of Indian territory
• Fixed satellite subscribers will be bound to their geolocation and will not be allowed to relocate their terminal to other locations
• Companies will also keep “adequate provision” to immediately block any user terminal identified as rogue for its malicious activities by agencies
• In addition, the network shall have facilities available at its Gateway/PoP /NCMC/Equivalent facility for real time monitoring of frequency allotted to each
• The Licensee will also have to ensure that no location spoofing device (hardware and software) is incorporated with these user terminals to hide the location of terminal
• The companies will also have to take prior approval to implement any changes in network architecture including number of satellites, orbits or any other configuration related to ground and space segments
• The satcom operators will have to submit a confirmation that their satellite constellation will not undertake any surveillance activity
• The licensee will have to seek separate clearance (from security angle) for voice and data services as well as for fixed location and mobile services

India’s Satcom Race Heats Up

The latest directions come at a time when the Centre is awaiting the final recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to finalise the pricing and policy of spectrum allocation. Last month, a report suggested that the for five years to assess initial market adoption.

While regulatory clarity is yet to emerge for the space, global giants are lining up to enter the burgeoning Indian spacetech market. While Starlink’s licence application is in the final stages of regulator approval, others like Amazon’s Project Kuiper and Apple’s partner Globalstar are also knocking on government doors to obtain satcom licences.

On the other hand, homegrown telecom giants Bharti Airtel and Jio Infocomm have their own respective satcom subsidiaries that already have the GMPCS licences. However, in a sharp U-turn from their earlier tirade against Starlink, the to offer the latter’s satellite-based internet services to their customers in India.

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